Cool Hunting's Fall 2009 Playlist

by CH Contributor

As summer hanging makes way for classes and meetings, the changing season calls for a soundtrack of syncopated digital beats and rock 'n' roll jams for setting a productive mood. Of course, fall wouldn't be fall without shedding a small tear for the parties that had to end, romances that seem frivolous in fall and trees losing their leaves, which all feels most satisfyingly sad accompanied by simple melodic vocals and melancholy harmonies. For pensive moments, lyrical hip hop from the fringes of the industry feels about right. Oh, and did we mention the '80s? They're here too. (Launch the Player.)—With contributions from Mike Frank, Seth Brau, Doug Black, Ami Kealoha and Tim Yu

Armando Manzanero: Cuando Estoy Contigo
We wanted to start you off by taking you back. Armando Manzanero has performed with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet and Elvis Presley, to name a few. Although those performances were not to miss, we love this award winning track from 1965, "Cuando Estoy Contigo" (When I'm With You). Pick up the track on iTunes.

Kid Cudi: Make Her Say (Ft. Kanye West and Common)
With an addictive Lady Gaga sample, "Make Her Say" breaks from the reflective theme of Kid Cudi's breakthrough album to rhyme about sex, sex and more sex. Pick it up from iTunes.

Yacht: I'm In Love With A Ripper
Yacht's debut album on his new label DFA has been making waves all summer with its richer more fleshed-out sound. "I'm in Love With a Ripper" is one of the many tracks that seamlessly mixes in DFA production values with the Portland musician's spazzy beats. Get it from iTunes.

Discovery: Winter Games
Discovery's syncopated handclaps and chimes layered with a sweetly lamenting hook makes for one of the more catchy songs on their premiere album. If the band's rotation during New York Fashion Week is any indication, we predict the Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot alums' electronic-meets-hip hop-meets-indie-meets-pop sound will only gain more and more fans. Buy the track from iTunes.

Foreign Born: It's Not My Fault (It's My Fault)
"It's Not My Fault" feels like a breezy tune, but its minor key sets it apart from the rest of the album and pushes it into the perfect song for the summer fade. Check out the above video for a little insight into what makes this L.A. band (comprised of hit producers) more than your average indie rock outfit. The song is available on iTunes

ArpLine: Rope
An up and comer, Brooklyn's Arpline are currently recording an album with famed producer Chris Coady, who's also worked with Grizzly Bear, TVOTR, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's and Blonde Redhead, to name a few. Check out one of their newest tracks "Rope," which is available on their site. Expect to see them around during CMJ in a few weeks.

The xx: Islands
XX bring a melodic pop with a hint of electronica from the southwest region of London. In the track "Islands" the four 20-years-olds balance a soft duet with bright guitar work, creating an easy, catchy groove. Purchase the track on iTunes.

Small Black: Despicable Dogs
Small Black's lo-fi production haze perfectly conjures that familiar tragic teenage bedroom sound. Due out 13 October 2009, the Brooklyn-based duo's first EP is available for pre-order at Insound. Check out more of their music on their MySpace.

The Pretty Things:The Good Mr. Square
Born out of the Rolling Stones (when Dick Taylor quit the Rolling Stones and formed The Pretty Things) we're hooked on this 1970's track, "The Good Mr. Square." A great falsetto, perfect harmonies and Beatles-esque baseline rarely go sour. The whole album follows suit and should be a part of any self-respecting music collection. Pick up the track on iTunes.

The Pretty Things: She Was Tall, She Was High
The only band that gets two spots on our playlist, The Pretty Things intended for "The Good Mr. Square" and "She Was Tall, She Was High" to be played back to back. The album was recorded during a time when a lot of thought was put into making an album, considering A and B sides and the flow of tracks—pretty different from our current era of purchasing individual MP3s and shuffle. Purchase the track on iTunes, but we recommend getting the whole album, entitled Parachutes.

Yo La Tengo: Periodically Triple Or Double
Playing off a tight '60s garage-rock riff, the new release from the inveterate New Jersey rockers proves their fluency in their medium. Thoroughly contemporary lyrics and touches like a sparsely jazzy organ interlude make for a distinctly Yo La song. Buy it from iTunes.

Islands: Vapours
The first single from the forthcoming new album of the same name (it drops 22 September 2009), "Vapours" polishes the band's multiple references, mixing They Might Be Giants-style vocals with big band horns and traces of their innocence from their days as the Unicorns, into perfectly-articulated pop. Preorder the song from iTunes.

Little Joy: The Next Time Around
Although this came out last year, we think the Little Joy track "The Next Time Around" is positively adorable and a great fit with the fall time. Fabrizio Moretti's voice lends a distinctive sound (thanks to his former stint as the Strokes' frontman) and drives the simple guitar and drum lines forward. Get the track on iTunes.

The Beatles: She Said She Said
Our nod to their recently released remastered box set (get the limited mono box set, because that's how the Beatles originally mixed most of these recordings) we love this Beatles track "She Said She Said," partly because Paul McCartney is on the drums laying down a fairly complex track. The guitar by George is distinctive and strong and the harmonies could kill. Purchase this, one of our favorite Beatles tracks of all time, on Amazon.

Jay Reatard: I'm Watching You
A lovely, jangly tune, "I'm Watching You" leaves you deep in its wonderfully warm thrall. Although most of Jay Reatard's brief-and-sweet songs seem to cater to those either with ADD or who can't muster enough energy to prolong that energy to pogo, this song proves he can damn well carry a song to substance past the three-minute mark. Watch Me Fall is an album that keeps summer going even as the leaves start to turn color. Buy the track from iTunes.—Phuong-Cac Nguyen

Wild Beasts: The Fun Powder Plot
If Yoko Ono was a dude, we think it might sound something like the "Fun Powder Plot" by the Wild Beasts—in a good way. Hailing from Kendal, England, we like their whole new album, Two Dancers. They are currently on tour, so be sure to check their MySpace if you want to catch them, and purchase the track on iTunes.

Florence and The Machine: Rabbit Heart
The powerful Florence Welch of Florence and The Machine blasted onto the U.K. scene showing off an impressive pair of lungs and a flair for the dramatic. A little bit punk, a little gothic and with a lot of fairytale glitter, Florence's "Rabbit Heart" has got us energized and nostalgic all at the same time. Think Bat For Lashes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs rolled into one. Pick up the track from iTunes.—Leonora Oppenheim

Neon Indian: Deadbeat Summer
The track title "Deadbeat Summer" sums up summer 2009 exactly and somehow Neon Indian perfectly captures the sentiment in their recording. With oscillating fidelity and a quirky melody, the Austin-based band makes the transition from the BBQ to a fall night dance party. Their first LP drops 13 October 2009. Currently on their first-ever tour, be sure to check out their MySpace for dates and get the track on iTunes.

Atlas Sound: Walkabout
Featuring Noah Lennox of Panda Bear's Beach Boys-esque vocals, this dreamy track from Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox's side project leaked some time back, almost killing the project. Lucky for us, that didn't happen and there's more to come from this band influenced by "doo wop and girl groups." Download "Walkabout" from Rcrd Lbl

Cass McCombs: You Saved My Life
"You Saved My Life" by Cass McCombs could be the most beautiful song on this list. Reportedly the new album, Catacombs, is a tribute to his wife, so most songs follow in this accord. Stripped down, with a solid bass line, sparse drums and a hint of pedal steel, it's a heart-wrenching track in the best ways. Get the song on iTunes.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
From the recently-released box set (featuring songs handpicked from the archives by Neil Young himself), this spot-on live version melds perfect harmonies with twangy guitar and Young's superlative songwriting for a song almost everyone can relate to. Get it from iTunes.

Jay-Z: Already Home (Featuring Kid Cudi)
We're feeling "Empire State of Mind" as much as everyone else, but "Already Home" features plenty of Jay-Z's characteristic flourishes—from vocal hiccup stylings to string and horn samples—to keep even the pickiest of fans happy. Buy it from iTunes.

Vybz Kartel: Yuh Love
Straight out of Jamaica, "Yuh Love" by Vybz Kartel and Dre Skull gets better with every listen. Featuring lyrics of love, the slower electro-pop dancehall track is a good way to wind down the summer. Buy it on iTunes.

Pax Nicholas and the Nettey Family: Ataa Onukpa
Thanks to this recent Daptone re-issue by conga player and singer Pax Nicholas, fans of the afrobeat style have even more to sink their teeth into. Pick it up from iTunes.

Tsegué-Maryam Guébrou: The Homeless Wanderer
Rounding out our playlist, is the beautiful solo piano work of Tsegue-Maryam Geubrou. A nun who only records music as a means to serve the poor, her solo compositions are a timeless treasure. She even has a Music Foundation whose mission is to "extend opportunities in music." Sweet and somber, "The Homeless Wanderer" is available for purchase from Amazon, but we highly recommend purchasing the whole album.

Meilleur Ami Scarves and Bags

by CH Contributor

by Zeva Bellel

Launched November 2008, Meilleur Ami makes niche men's accessories in Paris whose name is their promise—designs that behave like best friends. So strict is founder Fabien Larchez' BFF criteria that only two designs, the perfect bag and the perfect scarf, made it in the current collection.

"A good accessory can very quickly become your best friend," says Larchez, while modeling his ingenious 080 scarf. A zero-shaped infinity loop made from a piece of fabric with invisibly seamed ends, the scarf twists in the center to form a figure eight and then drapes around the neck for instant style and coverage.

Larchez uses his background in fashion (he worked in the biz for 20 years before launching Meilleur Ami) to source unusual and luxurious fabrics for his scarves, which a small textile atelier fabricates in the outskirts of Paris. Produced in limited series of three to six scarves per fabric, they come in a smorgasbord of patterns and textures to suit every climate and occasion—silk, cotton and linen for summer, cashmere, wool and even leather for winter.

Applying the same philosophy of function and style to the second half of his house, a textile factory that supplies to the French army makes the Meilleur Ami bag in the Picardie region of France. The bag is a godsend, plain and simple. Ample enough to hold a weekend’s worth of stuff, chic enough to take to a meeting and light enough to sling around your neck for a day of biking around town, it can be worn three ways: by hand, across the chest or on the shoulder.

Supple, resistant and good-looking, Larchez produces the bags in limited series using the finest skins and fabrics from Europe. The materials and colors change each season, and soon can be customized on demand.

Larchez tests each model for its weight and resistance to the elements, including his own arm hair. "I use the same zipper supplier as Chanel because their zippers are sturdy and don't catch the hairs on your arm. It's a little detail, but it makes all the difference."

Bags run from €450-600 and Scarves €50-75 at OFR (Paris), Bergdorf Goodman (New York) and Lane Crawford (Hong Kong).

See more images after the jump.

Sun N0º1 Solar Activated Shirt

by Karen Day

The initial design in a series of intelligent shirts combining fashion with technology, Moondial's Sun Nº01, limited edition zebra print tee, takes full shape a sunlight-activated image. Heat hitting the shirt reveals a lavender zebra head, lending an interactive element to an otherwise static graphic.

Headed up by Sabine Seymour—Parsons professor and author of the book Fashionable Technology—Moondial created the dynamic shirt in combination with Viennese fashion label Wendy & Jim, a conceptual duo known for adding installations and performances to their collections.

Launched at the Ars Electronica Festival earlier this month, the shirt is now available internationally for €80 from the Moondial site.

See more on fashionable technology in our Cool Hunting video on the topic.

Riva Yacht Boatyard

by CH Contributor

by Paolo Ferrarini of Future Concept Lab

CH recently had the rare chance to spend a day at Riva's befitting headquarters and boatyard in Sarnico, a small village in northern Italy on the shores of the beautiful Lake Iseo. (Click on images for enlarged view.)

Steeped in history, the Riva story begins with Pietro Riva, a carpenter who in 1842 moved to Lake Como and began a family boat-building business that would involve years of innovation. Beginning with his son Ernesto—inventor of the outboard motor that Riva is now famous for—every generation has taken the reigns and helped the business become a name synonymous with elegance and taste.

Riva produces five yacht models in Sarnico, each with its own production line and different hangar with the bigger fly models—up to 115, 35 meters— produced in La Spezia. Designed with their signature aqua and white striped pattern across the buildings and fences, the Sarnico boatyard immediately recalls the glamour and style embodied by Riva, the colors associated with shiny mahogany surfaces consuming the calm water of the lake.

Upon arrival we were invited to try one of the Riva icons, the Aquariva Cento, a limited edition open 33' motorboat. The comfort and detailing are apparent upon first blush: the leather sofa, the stainless steel accessories, the hidden fridge and faucet, the alternation of smooth and dry surfaces—all add to a constant feeling of soft sensation and hard reactions. Every feature implies true luxury with nothing left to chance. Leaving the shore we see the perfect Y-shaped wave every Riva leaves behind, a combination of two waves and flat water, considered the best for water skiing.

Behind the wheel, the sensation of maneuvering such a masterpiece is uniquely unparalleled. While it's incredibly easy to speed up and make the engines yell with gentle and fluid moves of the levers, our captain showed us how to take the most out of this jewel, which entails a breathtaking experience of the bow lifting up, the roar of wind and engines thrilling and two wings of water surround us. The whole scene feels surreal, like flying in a race car.

After an hour sailing with the motorboat open, not one single drop of water splashed us. We wonder, how can that be? Design or magic? We think it's a clever combination of both.

Now part of the Ferretti Group, Riva still maintains its traditions in history, design and precision manufacturing of small and big yachts. Watching the hundreds of technicians and artisans actually building the yachts by hand is truly amazing, especially noting that in each boat, big or small, all of the screw cuttings go the same exact direction, following a straight line along the entire hull.

Riva applies that same level of perfection to every single element, implemented by an astounding group of trained plumbers, engineers, carpenters and electricians, who all personally take care of the mechanical and electronic systems that comprise the hidden heart of the boats. Acknowledging its rarity, a few years ago the master craftsmen formed Scuola Serafino Riva, a school aimed to coach the future generations of boat makers, one that will ensure a standard of quality Riva will endure for years to come.

Bike Rides Exhibition

by Jacob Resneck

The upcoming exhibit "Bike Rides" brings together a global cast of artists to celebrate pedal power at a time when the developed world is reclaiming the ubiquitous two-wheeled wonder as a possible savior for our urban transportation woes. We refer, of course, to the trusty bicycle. As the sun sets on the auto age, the work in the show speaks to the increasing cultural relevance of the vehicle.

Established visual and conceptual artists like Brazilian Jarba Slopes (see his work pictured at right) , Israeli Guy Ben-Der and Tom Sachs joined forces with with talented up-and-comers like Brooklyn-based Jonathan Brand (that's his fiberboard bike below).

The end product makes for a multimedia showcase of cycles crafted by individual artists, some making a statement, others simply forging their ideal ride. Because after all, cycling is fun and deserves honoring—this exhibition aims to capture that spirit.

The man-behind-the-curtain of all this is bike advocate and former Talking Head David Byrne.

Bike Ride
26 September 2009-3 January 2010

 Exhibition Reception: 4 October 2009, 1-5pm
Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
258 Main Street
Ridgefield, CT 06877 map

tel. +1 203 438 4519